Battered helpless by Sugar Ramos, Champion Davey Moore sits on the canvas at Dodger Stadium a moment after his head bounced off the ring ropes. An hour later Moore fell into a deep coma, and three days later he died, setting off new demands from California to Rome that boxing be outlawed

'O to be a frog, lads, and live aloof from care' is a pretty jazzy translation of a quote from Theocritus, the Greek poet. In those days frogs lived like Riley, but now, with gourmets eating them proven√ßale and natural enemies still eating them raw...

19TH HOLE: THE READERS TAKE OVER

BIRDS AND BULLSSirs:Congratulations on your excellent article of March 11, A Brave Matadora Explains the Bullfight. I'm sorry you don't publish more like it. I do not mean articles that simply try to justify bullfighting as an art, I mean technical articles on the subject. Such articles would be quite important this summer, when thousands of Americans (who yell for blood at boxing matches!) angrily storm out of bull rings. Maybe the more intelligent ones would understand.

I was especially glad to see Antonio Ordó√±ez, the greatest torero of our time, as the subject of Robert Riger's art work. Two summers ago I was privileged to be a member of Ordó√±ez' caudrilla, and toured Spain and France with him. Your magazine has shown great initiative in printing this article. I hope it will be the first of many. Olé!JEFFREY LYONSNew York City

Sirs:Despite your attempt to give "Matadora" Pat McCormick an aura of status, I lump her in the same class as women wrestlers.B. F. CAREYFairfax, Va.

Sirs:My hat is off to Patricia McCormick. There will never be another like her in a hundred years.BILL REENANCovington, Ky.

Sirs:My hearty congratulation to those brave, fearless Texans who stood up and matched their wits, brains and priceless shotguns against man-eating pigeons in your March 18 issue (A Border Pigeon Shoot).DOUGLAS CLEMENTHartford, Conn.

Sirs:Your magazine we love, but your March 18 issue has shaken me to the roots.

These people who do this—do they stick pins in their children to hear them cry?NANCY T. WEHRRuxton, Md.

SMALL WORLDSirs:Your article A Big Word for a Small Boy (March 18) contained a statement, "He plays the net like McClellan took Richmond." McClellan got close but it took him four years and an awful lot of men to succeed.JIM CHAMBLOSCharlottesville, Va.

•You got it.—ED.

HAIL A HEROSirs:Alfred Wright's article on Gary Player (Player in Paradise, March 18) stated, "It reminded one of how considerate and well-mannered Player has always been, qualities that have endeared him to his fellow pros...." It could also have pointed out that he has endeared himself to the American public.

An example of this occurred last summer during a charity exhibition match held at the Spring Brook Country Club in Morris-town, N.J., in which Gary and Sam Snead were challenged by two competent amateurs. The foursome was walking on to one of the greens, with Gary lagging a little behind, when my 10-year-old son, Curtis, who is not well enough drilled in the etiquette of a golf gallery, called out in not too loud a voice: "Hi, Gary!"

After holing out, Gary walked over toward the crowd, searching for the owner of the young voice he had heard and asked, "Did someone call my name?"

You can well imagine who is the number one golf hero of the world in my family.JOHN H. CAMPBELLRidgewood, N.J.

SAILING WITH CLASSSirs:It is fun to compare the speeds of the various one-design classes around a triangular course, but the results of same have no bearing on good one-design racing (Two Hulls Are Better Than One, March 4). According to your article, all conventional sailboats are now extinct and must be scrapped, all racing skippers must purchase catamarans to-keep up with the times. This is the same as saying that all sports car racing enthusiasts must have Indianapolis racers because they are the fastest.

Good one-design racing can be had in many classes of boats, and the Utopia of one-design (in a particular class) is having boats that are all exactly the same, so that racing is a test of skipper and crew and not a test of boat speed. It takes more than just a good boat to have good one-design racing, you must also have organization so that boats will not be outbuilt, or features added that make them faster!

The quest for speed under sail is to be encouraged. We think that it is good for the sport to have people who can afford to experiment in this direction, but we must not lose sight of the fact that many of us sail conventional craft because of the advantages they offer for good racing.ALBERT P. PELOQUINBay City, Mich.

BEHIND CARROT TOPSirs:While it is true that Tom O'Hara has broken the four-minute barrier under the coaching of Jerry Weiland (And Now There Are Two, March 18), the story isn't complete without the contributions of Don Amidei, now track coach at De Paul University.

When O'Hara came to Loyola from St. Ignatius High School, he was a 4:20 miler. Working under Amidei—then Weiland's assistant—the slender carrot-top took almost 19 seconds off his time in two years.

Another product of Amidei's intelligent modern training program: Villanova middle-distance runner Tom Sullivan, a 4:03.5 high school miler for Amidei at St. George High School.PAUL C. O'SHEAChicago, Ill.

Sirs:As a former very mediocre distance runner at both St. Ignatius High School and Loyola University, I perhaps received even more enjoyment from your article on young Tom O'Hara than did others.

I was especially happy to see a reference to Tom's high school coach, Dr. Ralph Mailliard. In this era of sophistication, when coaches "build character" in losing seasons, a tribute to Mal as a character builder may seem naive, but build character he does, and in the process he has also built some mighty fine football and track teams. More than any other man I have ever met, Ralph Mailliard deserves the credit or blame for whatever I am some 24 years later. My biggest regret in no longer residing in Chicago is that my son will not have the opportunity of coming under Mal's direct influence.

This may be hero worship but, if so, I picked a giant for my hero. I hesitate to sign this letter, since it would be equally sincere if signed with any of more than a thousand names.WILLIAM A. WATTSCanton, Ohio

Before he became the premier postseason performer of his generation, the Patriots icon was a middling college quarterback who invited skepticism, even scorn, from fans and his coaches. That was all—and that was everything